Improvement in kindling materials



rnnononn scnwau'rz, on NEW YORK, n. Y.

Letters Patent No. 113,578, dated April 11, 1 871.

IMPROVEMENT IN KlNDLING MATERIALS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

' and advantageous than any material now used for that purpose.

Various experiments which I have lately made with a view to determine the cheapest and most convenient and efiicient means of lighting hard-coal-fires have ledme to the following conclusions: I

First, properly prepared wood ,(preferably hard wood) is the best material for the purpose.

Second, it should be in small sticks of definite and uniform length.

Third, the wood should be perfectly desiccated, so as to expel all moisture that would impede combustion.

Fourth, it should be rendered so inflammable that the pieces can be instaneously lighted singly, from below, so that. they may burn in an upright or somewhat inclined position, and may, therefore, be placed in the smallest space compatible with free combos tion. i Fifth, the lighting should extend simultaneously to all the sticks, inflaming at the sameinstant the whole mass.

.mediate contact with the kindling.

The coal-matches now to be described seek to realize the economical conditionsabove indicated.

Common unprepared wood may be applicable for the purpose; but I prefer what is termed tinder-'- wood, a product of hard wood obtained by a special process, for which I received Letters Patent of the United States March 29, 1870. H

I reduce the wood to sticks similar to commonkim tiling-wood, but find it advantageous to give them a length of about six inches instead of three-inches, as usual. \Vhe'n sticks of this description, especially those of tinder-wood, are applied endwise to the surface of thin rosin-varnish, or other inflammable liquid, the wood, by capillary action, takes up the liquid with avidity; and I take advantage of thisfact to impart ready and rapid infiammability to one or both ends of the sticks by the application of such 'a varnish to them. In= the case of tinder-wood it is desirable that the varnish be applied while the wood is still hot from the previous treatment.

I apply'the varnish or inflammable material to the end or ends of the sticks, not by dipping, in the ordinary sense of that word, but by bringing the ends of the sticks, singly or in bundles, into simple contact with thesurface of the liquid, and allowing them to remain in such contact only long enough to absorb the smallest quantity of it required to impart the desired inflammability. This I can accomplish by supporting the sticks on a suitable wire frame and passing a stream of varnish below them with its surface in contact with their lower ends. The material might also, if preferred, be applied by means. of a brusli to the ends of the sticks, singly orin bundles. Thus the requisite inflammability is secured at the smallest expenditure of material, and without immersing or dipping the sticks, or daubing their sides with superfluous sticky material, which would render them disagrceable to handle, besides involving waste.

My method or system of applying the inflammable material has nothing in common with any method which exposes the sides of the sticks to be daubed or coal-matches undoubtedly oifer a means of kindling v hard-coal fires, combinining decided economy with convenience, compactness, and uniformity.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I prefer coal-matches made of tinder-wood, having one end only coated with a varnish made of rosin dissolvedin benzine, and sawdust applied to the varnished end, to prevent tacki- HESS.

What I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 A new article of manufacture which I call coalmatches, the same consisting of sticks, preferably of tinder-wood, one or both ends of which have, absorbed an inflammable liquid varnish, or other suitable inflammable material, and been protected from tackiness by the application of sawdust to the varnished surface, all as hereinbefore fully set forth.

2. The special process or method of applying the inflammable material to the end surfaces of the sticks, as described.

3. Sticks of ,wood having special inliam mability confined to one or both ends by an application of varnish, or other suitable inflammable material, restricted to said end or ends, for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed at Washington this 14th day of Janu nary, A. D. 1871.

"Witnesses; THEODORE SCHWARTZ.

, W. R. STANSBURY,

CHAS. F. S'ransBuRY. 

